Post Mortem
by ChinamiMorimoto
Summary: The story goes on, even after death. That's when this one gets its "happily." Afterlife's not perfect for Jack & Ennis, but it's better than life was. AUTHOR'S NOTES AT THE END OF EACH CHAPTER.
1. Chapter 1

Okay, my family's officially gonna have a fit if they find out I'm writing this....

Oh well, I'm doin' it anyway.

Well y'all remember that "gay cowboy movie," _Brokeback Mountain_, right? How sad was it at the end when Jack dies? Yeah, I know. Have you ever wished it ended differently, that maybe Ennis had gone along with Jack's idea of them livin' together?

But he didn't, and then there's all that crap about their wives and yada yada yada, and then Jack dies and, well, that's the end of that.

Right?

WRONG!

Death ain't the end of anything, it's the start of a whole lot. The story goes on, half way starts over, actually, once you die. I've set myself to tellin' this half of _Brokeback Mountain_, from "the other side," if you will.

First of all, a bit of vocab: Multiverse: many universes on one plane (not quit sure what that means, really, but just bare with me here, a scary-smart eleven-year old explained this to me for an hour, and that's about all I got figured out for sure). All of the worlds of this multiverse feed here, to the Kingdom. You name 'em, they dead, they here. Seriously, one of my friends is taking fencing lessons from Joan of Arc.

Made-Angel: somebody who's died and then come here, like Joan, or Poe, or Jonathan Larson, who's in the second phase of their existence.

Born-Angel: somebody born here, like me, who's an Angel for their entire existence. We don't get a second chance.

Got all that? Good.

Secondly, by now, most everybody you'd know from BBM (get used to the abbreviation, people), book or movie, doesn't matter, is dead and so is here.

Third, I bet you're wondering who the frick I am. My name is Suzann Lauralai Twist. That's right, Twist. Quick explanation of that: Jack's my daddy. Laureen's my mama. I'm not quite sure what order all this happened in, as far as when people died, but I know Jack died first. I think.... Yeah, that's right. After him, Ennis, Alma, and Laureen all died, in one order or anther, for various reasons. Ennis and Alma never even thought about getting back together, that dynamic got itself so fucked up there was no chance of it ever getting worked out. In the long run, that may have been for the best though. But, my daddy and mama _did _get back together, really only long enough to have me though. They split 'cause Jack met back up with Ennis, and the whole "y'all don't go up there to fish" type of thing happened again; old habits die hard I guess. When my mama found out about all this, she was not happy whatsoever. Anyway, Jack and Laureen broke up, Ennis picked Jack back up, they moved in together and got married. Sounds pretty much like Jack's original plan/fantasy/idea thing, no? All he had to do to see it realized was _die_. Lovely.

I was still a baby, so I had to stay with Mama.

Even when I was real little, I'd visit my daddy. He and Ennis live on a joint ownership ranch/farm way out on the edge of town, they own the ranch part of it. The farm part is owned by this other family, the Magnells, and a woman named Teiah Grover owns the rice fields that go along with it.

The Magnells have a daughter just a couple years older than me named Cissy, she's been one of my best friends for as long as I can remember.

When I was younger, I couldn't stay the night at my daddy's if Ennis was there, it was against some kind custody agreement. I hated it! I just didn't understand what was so wrong with my being there at night when my freaking _stepfather_ was too. I mean, I do _now_, but that's not the kind of thing a six or seven year old would realize.

But it drove me nuts, I just wanted to spend time with the other half of my family. I always liked Ennis. He's a little gruff sometimes, well a lot of times, but he's funny (at least I think so) and, somewhere behind the cowboy hat, beer bottle, and coarse facade, he's a genuinely sweet caring man. Somewhere.

Well, when I was ten, I got into a fairly major fight with Mama. It started with my friend Zazu telling me he was gay. I told Mama, and she kinda freaked a little, I never imagined she'd take it like she did. It just snowballed from there. I got real upset and I ran away to the only place I could think to run away to: Daddy's ranch.

I remember Ennis answered the door when I got there, it must have been almost midnight. I kinda jumped up and through my arms around his neck, cryin'. I must have nearly strangled him, but he'd dealt with his own girls in another life and he just picked my up and went and got Jack.

I told them about Zazu and about tellin' Mama and the fight that had ensued. I said I didn't wanna go back to live with Mama if she was gonna judge my friends, I meant it too.

Well Daddy knew I'd been fussin' with Mama for a while, so he made about a zillion phone calls (I swear that's a number) and got some custody stuff rejiggered. It took a couple weeks, but everything got worked out so I could live them and its been that way ever since.

I'm seventeen now, and I go to school in town a ways. Daddy gives riding lessons and Ennis does the same kind of farm work he always has, 'cept it's for himself now, and he works with the local mounted law enforcement some. Daddy seems to hate my boyfriend (he really doesn't though) and I keep reminding him that he wasn't much older than me when, ah, how to put this nicely, _he first got to know __Ennis_. It just bugs him more, but my point is, I'm plenty old enough to have a boyfriend.

But, yeah, as I kinda already said, Daddy and Ennis don't know I'm typing this up, so I'm sittin' here with my laptop eating some kind of Asian take out (I've officially decided it doesn't quite pass as Chinese) while Daddy shows a bunch of fifth graders how to saddle a horse without getting themselves hurt or killed and Ennis chases down our runaway goat (her name's Daisy-May, she likes to climb trees).

You're probably real tired of listenin' to me rant, but a promise, this entry's just a introduction-type-thing. From here on out I'll be recording days in the life of Jack Twist's daughter. At least the more interesting ones.

**A/N: Okay, at the point in time I wrote this I had neither read nor seen BBM, so please excuse anything in this chapter that just doesn't seem to work. I just read BBM today (it takes less time to read the book than watch the movie) so now I actually know what I'm talking about! Yay!**

**I did just go through and edit based upon my new found knowlage so I _think _everything okay.**

**Obviously, I own nothing BBM related, if I did I don't think I could have killed Jack....**

**Comments and questions in reviews can be directed at either me or Suzann. Those that are directed at Suzann will be answered in character.**

**Happy fanfic-ing!**


	2. Chapter 2

Life can be pretty dang entertaining in my family, at least if you're me. My sophomore year, that's last year, was _real_ entertaining for me – and my Lit. class.

I was standing at the rickety little table in our distinctly under furnished kitchen one night cramming everything I could make fit into my bag; school started back the next day.

My dad walked in from the pretty-sure-it's-technically-a-yard-but-seems-more-like-a-pasture-maybe and we both winced at the squeaky screen door. He smiled at me a little. "I have got ta fix that."

Even several decades dead, he still hadn't lost his accent. I smiled back. "You really do."

He nodded and leaned against the counter to watch me fight with my bag and a few notebooks. I shot a look at him, thanking him for _all_ the help he was givin' me, and he chuckled, grabbing a soda out of the cabinet behind him without even turning around. I rolled my eyes.

Ennis came in from the main part of the house and stuck his head in the refrigerator. I smirked. "Hey, Ennis."

He mumbled a hey to me from behind the fridge door.

"Guess what." I was still smirking even though I was forcing a pack of pens into my bag.

Ennis straightened up and closed the fridge with his foot, having apparently found nothing worth eating, and leaned against the counter next to my father. "What?"

My smirk widened into a grin. "The moment I set foot on campus tomorrow, I'll officially have more schooling than you."

He made a sound of not-quite-irritation low in his throat and my daddy smirked like I had been.

"You know," Ennis said. "I wanted to keep goin' ta school, wanted to be a sophomore like you'll be tomorrow, couldn't though."

I put my hands on the table and leaned forward over my bag. "Ah, you see. That's the difference between you an' me: you wanted to be a sophomore, I wanna graduate."

Daddy snorted into his soda, trying not to laugh. He'd of been drinking a beer 'cept he'd lost a bet with Teiah and wasn't allowed to drink anything with a greater-than-zero proof till next week.

Ennis snorted with a very different emotion, it was a bit amazing how much that man could say without saying anything. "Yeah, well, Suzann, your parents ain't dead."

"Uh, yeah, they are," I pointed out.

I saw the laughter die in my dad's eyes. Oops. That was a mistake. There are certain things you don't say or talk about in my house, at least not in certain people's hearing, Jack being dead is one of 'em, tire irons are another, you get the picture.

I said, "Awe, Dad." as Ennis said, "C'mon, Jack."

He didn't respond. I looked at Ennis. "Do somethin'."

Now it was Ennis's turn to smirk. He leaned in and kissed my dad gently on the cheek. "Jack?"

Jack grumbled something I couldn't hear and Ennis put an arm around him. I sighed. "Daddy, you are one frickin' dysfunctional Angel, you know that?"

That got him to smile, and that was all it took. Moment of depression over.

I finished packing my bag and went to bed.

The next morning I came downstairs in my white-on-white school uniform and well loved, well worn boots, a look my classmates had mostly gotten used to by winter break of the previous year.

My dad was sitting at the kitchen table reading the paper and—since I'm the only one in the family who can cook worth shit—eating a bowl of cereal.

"Mornin', Suzann."

I put a frozen waffle in the toaster. "Mornin', Daddy. Ennis still sleeping?"

"Like a rock. After you went to bed, he started tellin' me all about what he wanted to do later in high school, goin' to prom and the like. Didn't shut up 'til he fell asleep."

I giggled, grabbed my waffle and my bag, and headed for the door.

"Leaving already?"

"M-hmm, meetin' some friends at the coffee place near school before first period."

He nodded and I opened the door, shuddering at the earsplitting creak.

Nothing of particular interest happened until second semester, then what has got to be the most perfect coincidence of my life happened.

It was February and still bitterly cold. I was sitting in my sixth-period Lit class doodling a horse on the back cover of my notebook when my teacher, Mrs. Hemingway (no relation to Ernest, I think), announced that we would be starting our next reading project. I groaned with my classmates and leaned back till I was resting my head on Zazu's desk behind me, looking at him upside-down. He shrugged at me and ran a hand through his flaming red hair. I sat back up.

"Oh, it's not that bad everybody," Mrs. Hemingway said consolingly. "This is a short one. Doubt it will take any of you more than a couple days to read. It's also a newer one, so no more dredging your way through archaic language for now."

I was not impressed, this woman thought the Iliad and the Odyssey together would take a couple weeks. But when she said, "We'll be reading Annie Proulx's _Brokeback Mountain_," my mood shifted considerably. Mrs. Hemingway noticed. "Ah, Suzann, you seem happy about this choice of literature."

I nodded. "I am, ma'am."

"That's right, your surname is Twist. This must be quite an amusing coincidence to you."

She had started passing out copies of the fifty or sixty page long book and I accepted my copy with a seemingly uncalled for amount of enthusiasm. "You have no idea, ma'am."

She gave me an inquisitive look. Behind me, Zazu was half suffocating himself trying not to laugh.

"Mrs. Hemingway, my surname doesn't just happen to be Twist."

"Oh, is that so?"

Zazu put his head down on his desk. I could tell that most of the room was looking at me now.

"My daddy's Jack Twist." I held up my battered paperback novella and tapped it on my desk. "_This _Jack Twist."

There was a chorus of "no way's" and the like from around the room and I realized just how few of my classmates really knew me. Mrs. Hemingway arched an eyebrow and I nodded. "Really."

Mrs. Hemingway looked a bit uncomfortable. "If that's true, then I'm not sure I should be having you read this."

Zazu snapped at that and fell out of his desk laughing.

"Mrs. Hemingway," I said, "in large part, I know what's in this book. I live with my dad and _Ennis_, not my mama. I mean it'll probably irk 'em both, but, hey, it's a school assignment, right?"

She smiled a resigned, bemused smile. "You have no excuse not to ace the test, then." She turned to Zazu. "Mr. Shimbawa, pull yourself together."

He nodded breathlessly and clambered back into his desk

The rest of the class period was spent on grammar. Out of the corners of my eyes, I could see my classmates glancing at me every so often.

As we walked out of the room when the bell rang, Zazu put a hand on my shoulder. "I predict: study group at your place by the end of the week."

He turned down a side hall, and I smiled to myself. I agreed with his prediction. Judging by the feeling in some of the glances I was getting in class, I'd have about half the class at my place by the end of the week. A mostly female half.

I knew Ennis wouldn't be there when I got home. He had a meeting with the commander of the Mounted Guard, a sharp-faced, hawk-eyed woman named Esmeralda.

I dropped my bag next to the couch, grabbed the book I'd been issued, and walked out to the stable. I stopped before I got there though, 'cause my daddy was sitting on top of the field house roof.

He was facing away from the house, legs folded, hat pushed back and—in a rare act of acceptance of his angelicy—his wings were open loosely behind him, mahogany colored feathers catching the winter sun, casting shadows on the slate.

He was watching Skipper, the fluffy coon hound-collie mix no one was quite sure belonged to us or the Magnells, running around out in the field with the horses, so he didn't see me walk up. I hid my book behind my back. "Hey, Dad."

He looked around at me. "Hey, Suzann."

He walked to the edge of the roof, boots chinking on the slate, and jumped off, landing with a slight flutter of wings before he folded them and they disappeared. "What have you got there?"

I smiled a fox's smile. "Nothin'."

He narrowed his eyes.

"It's just another one of Mrs. Hemingway's reading assignments." I brought the book out from behind me and waved it a little.

I could tell the moment his brain had registered the title. He got this funny look on his face, somewhere between mad, scared, confused, incredulous, and disbelieving.

He snatched the paperback out of my hand. "What the—? No, just no."

I snatched it back. "School assignment, it's required, just glad it's not more Homer."

He grabbed it away from me again. "No. you can't be—"

I grabbed it back again. "I can, I gotta, I will, I am."

And with that I ran for the fence. Once I was there, I turned back to see Jack looking after me. "Oh, Daddy, don't read"—I consulted my book—"page forty-five, 'kay?"

I saw him shake his head. "Suzann, I—, I don't even know."

I shrugged and laughed, then hopped the low fence to go tell Cissy.

I was flopped upside down on the couch that evening, reading _Brokeback Mountain._ I had changed out of my uniform into jeans and a T-shirt, but I was still wearing my beloved boots.

Every time my dad walked by, I could tell he was trying really hard not to think about what I was reading, I could also tell it wasn't working. Eventually, he gave up and sank down onto the couch next to my feet. "So what page was it I'm not allowed to read? Fifty-five?"

"Forty-five, but you might not want to read fifty-five, either. Or fifty-four, or fifty-one. Actually, just don't read anything past forty-four."

"And why not?"

"Just trust me on this."

"Is it 'cause those pages are things I'd really rather you not be reading?"

"Nah, that's page fourteen, and just page fourteen."

"Ah, uhhuh... Well then... Then why?"

I sat up and looked at him. "If I tell you, you'll be all glassy-eyed and depressed for the rest of the night."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

I flopped back and returned to my reading. He sat in silence for a moment, then stood and walked out of the room. I heard the kree of the kitchen door and I knew he'd gone back outside.

I finished the book and just lay there for a minute, absorbing what I'd just read. I'd heard the story before in one form or another from several people—Daddy, Ennis, even Heath at a performing arts festival last summer—but none of them had conveyed the emotion of the situation. Daddy and Ennis probably didn't want to think too hard about it and Heath was kinda multitasking, so it's understandable, but still. Thank you Annie Proulx for making me cry over my father, and something that happened long before I was born at that. Not even sure if that's sarcastic.

Ennis came in looking tired. He noticed me on the couch, then noticed the book laying on my stomach.

He didn't say anything to me, just headed for the kitchen. "Jack!" I heard the door creak again.

A couple minutes later, I heard them come back in the kitchen, but the sound of the door was covered by their arguing.

"—can't do this."

"It's a school assignment, not the end of the world."

"But it's—"

"What do you want me to do, Ennis? Her teacher has every right to assign whatever reading she wants to, within reason."

"This ain't within reason."

"Yeah, it is. By this time of the year, these kids are all fifteen, sixteen years old, a few a the older ones might be seventeen. We weren't a whole lot older when we first met. I sure don't think we're the only family uneasy 'bout this, but we're the only ones uneasy 'cause it's about _us_. Most any other family that's unhappy is unhappy 'cause we're both men, but ya know what, screw them, it don't matter a lick what they think. And these kids, Suzann included, all know more about that kind of stuff than their families'd like to think, it's just a fact. I know it, and you know it too. Now I ain't happy about this either, but I think we should just let her read it, talk to us about if she feels like it."

Ennis said something I couldn't hear. I cleared my throat. "Y'all know I can hear you, right?"

My dad called, "Yeah," as Ennis cursed not-too-quietly.

I heard the distinct sound of a beer bottle being opened, and reflected that it was interesting that, though I was now over the local drinking age of fifteen, and both Jack and Ennis drank, not exactly sparingly either, I wasn't inclined to drink, myself.

Well, this was gonna be one entertaining Lit. assignment.

**A/N: I wish my Lit. teacher had assigned us BBM... Oh well.**

**This was just over five pages in open office, I'm proud of myself. It would have been longer, but I decided to split up the different parts of this particular story arc into a number of chapters.**

**By the way, Zazu's hair is red, as in the color you learn in primary school, like roses, red M&M's, or Judas's jacket at the end of Jesus Christ Superstar (I love that jacket, got one just like it at Target, I was so incredibly happy).**

**Comments and questions in reviews can be directed at either me or Suzann. Those that are directed at Suzann will be answered in character.**

**Happy fanfic-ing! Reviews appreciated!**


	3. Chapter 3

The next morning before school, I was sitting in the school courtyard just kinda zoning out listening to music on my phone, when the bright beacon of Zazu's hair caught my eye. I waved at him and took out my earbuds.

He came over and hopped up next to me on the low stone wall I was sitting on. "So, read it yet?"

I grinned. "Only twice. You?"

He laughed. "Oh, yeah. My mom had a bit of a fit though. It was kinda funny actually, she was all worried that 'it would put thoughts in my head,' or something like that. I'm almost seventeen, those kinds of thoughts are going to find their way into my head no matter what I read."

I shook my head in amusement and sympathy. His mom tried so hard, she really did, but she only half knew what she was doing. For one, she was only thirty-three, then she had had no brothers or close guy friends when she was growing up. Also she'd only been informed of which team her son was playing for two short years ago. She did try.

I sighed. "Yeah. My folks freaked a little too. My dad seems to just be kinda uncomfortable with it but Ennis seems _kinda_ pissed."

"Ooch."

"Eh, he'll survive."

"Ha, well I got to go, test for Mr. Kennedy." He hopped back down off the wall.

"On a Tuesday?"

"On a Tuesday."

"Geez."

"I know."

"Well, good luck.

"Thanks."

I walked into sixth period and was immediately mobbed with questions:

"Ohmigoodness! Suzann! Is this like legitly real?" "Is Jack _really _your dad?" "Do you seriously live with him and Ennis?" "Was Lureen telling the truth and Ennis was awfulizing or was he right and she was lying?" "Is Lureen your mom? She's your mom, right?" "The shirts, tell me they still have the shirts!" "Your grandpa's kind of a bastard, have you ever met him?" "Hey, you have a brother, don't you?" "Oh, screw her brother –" "Only if he's cute, is he cute?"

Over all the babbling girls, I heard a boy's voice say, "Hey, Suzann?"

I looked up to see Aeron, the boys' rugby team captain, sitting on the desk next to mine. "Uh, yeah?"

"Tell Ennis he's a moron for me, would you?"

I smirked, "Sure," then turned back to the knot of girls around me. "Uh, yes, totally legitly. Yes, he is. Yes, I do. He was right, she was lying. Yes, she's my mama. I'm not sure, but I think Ennis might have 'em rolled up in the back of his closet. He's not that bad, but yeah. Yeah, I have a brother, no idea if he's cute, never met 'im, he ent dead yet, but I'm pretty sure he's in his like thirties. Did I miss anybody's question?"

The girls all shook their heads.

The bell rang and everybody ran for their seats. Zazu leaned forward. "Smooth."

"Thanks."

Mrs. Hemingway took her place at the front of the room. "So, how many of you have finished the book already?"

Just over half the class raised their hands.

"Okay, great. I'll give the rest of you one more day to finish, but tomorrow

I'll be giving out reading guides, and I expect you to be finished by then. Does any one have any questions about the story?"

A few people shook their heads.

"I think they've all already asked Suzann everything on their minds, Mrs. Hemingway," Zazu said respectfully yet in a way that also made a subtle jab at every one who had asked me, and, even more subtly, at me. I'd have to get him back for that at some point. Or maybe not.

From there we went on to grammar. If it were possible to kill a part of speech, I'd of happily killed prepositions that year.

That evening at home, I offhandedly said to Ennis, "School's boys' rugby captain says you're a moron."

He glanced at me and, whoo, if looks could kill. "What?"

I shrugged. "Well he didn't tell me why, he just told me to tell you."

"Hmph."

I shrugged again and opened my mouth to say something else, but he cut me off.

"I don't want to hear any more 'bout any of your schoolmates just now."

He stalked out of the room just as my daddy came in. After turning to watch Ennis walk part way down the hall he gave me a questioning look, to which I shrugged.

**A/N: Yay! I'm alive, I'm still writing. Next chapter should be up much faster than this one. Not as much Jack and Ennis in this chapter as I'd like, it's also shorter than I'd like, but I think it still works.**

**Comments and questions in reviews can be directed at either me or Suzann. Those that are directed at Suzann will be answered in character.**

**Happy fanfic-ing! Reviews appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

We did indeed get a reading guide the next day. There were more questions in the guide there were pages in the book. I sighed.

When class ended, a blond girl I was _pretty_ sure was named Megan, who hadn't spoken to me more than twice all year, came up to me. "Hey, Suzann, uh, I was wondering if maybe you'd like to hang out after school and work on the reading guide together?"

"You're only askin' _me_ this 'cause I live with the main characters, aren't you?"

Her face fell and she looked very chagrined and upset. "No, no! Well, actually, yeah, but I really am lost. I've read the book three-and-a-half times but I'm still not sure what's going on; I think I must be missing something. If any one can help me, it's probably you."

I smiled at her. "Don't worry, I was expecting this. Sure I can help you. Why don't you come over after school today?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. That's great, thanks!"

A couple other girls from my class latched onto my arm. "Can we come too?"

One of them went on. "She like legit needs help, but I just want to meet your dad."

I laughed. "Sure. Hey, at least you're honest."

"Thanks."

The other girl spoke up. "I'm just as lost as Megan."

Zazu caught my eye and we shared a look.

Aeron tapped me on the shoulder and I turned to see him and a couple of his rugby boys rather awkwardly following me and my three clingy girls out into the hallway. "Uh, Suzann- ?"

"Wanna come over to work on the guide?"

They nodded.

"That's fine. We can all meet in the courtyard after last bell."

This pattern continued for the rest of the day so that, when school ended about an hour-and-a-half later, the group I met in the courtyard was almost a dozen strong.

"Okay, everybody, how many of you can actually fly, other than Zazu?"

The three rugby boys and a couple girls raised their hands.

"Then we're walking."

By the time we were all walking down the drive to Millennium Sky Ranch & Riding School (as proclaimed by a battered wood sign in desperate need of a new coat of paint), names had been exchanged and every one was pretty much getting along. As we strode into the main yard, I spotted my father saddling Märzipan, our palomino, by the fence. He looked up and around us, and my classmates fell silent.

"Suzann, what's all this?" he call across the yard.

"Study group," I called back.

"That's quite a study group, what class?"

I grinned. "Literature."

"Ah, you have got to be kidding me!" He swung up onto the saddle and rode over to us. He addressed me from his perch on Märzipan's back. "Suzann... I can't believe this. And I _know_ Ennis won't be happy."

There was a general feeling of unease among my peers that was only partly shared by me. "Well, is Ennis home?"

"Not yet."

"Then no problem. What Ennis don't know wont hurt 'im."

"Yeah, that tends not to work."

The word "Mexico" drifted lazily across my brain.

"And, Suzann, I ain't happy either."

Märzipan pawed the ground.

"Dad, this really is a study group, we have a reading guide to do and these guys really do need help. Well, not Fiera, she really is just here 'cause she wanted to meet you, and then Zazu practically lives here, so he doesn't count. We won't be any trouble to you, we can go work on the hill by the rice fields, even."

He shifted the reins in his hands. "Alright, but..."

He didn't get the chance to finish his thought for Hua Mulan cantered out of the stables on her majestic black-and-white just then. "Twist! Are you coming or not?"

"Yeah, yeah." He gave me one more meaningful look, then rode off.

I turned to my classmates. "Jack Twist and Hua Mulan tends to mean mounted martial arts lessons, don't ask. C'mon, let's go."

I started for Teiah's part of the property. My study group followed in a mildly stunned silence for a moment, then Fiera said, "So, that was really him?"

I nodded. "Yup."

"He's _fine_."

I glanced at her sideways. "Okay, that's creepy, 'cause he's my _father_, majorly older than you, and, as you very well know, taken. By a man who'd probably happily kick your ass if given good reason to."

Zazu put his hand on Fiera's shoulder. "Hitting on his husband would count as good reason."

I gave him a look. He shrugged. "Just saying."

Fiera made an unidentifiable gesture. "He's still fine."

I rolled my eyes.

We spread out in the soft, sweet, violently green grass next to Teiah's southern-most rice field and delved into our packets of questions. Within eleven minutes I was half way through page two.

Megan was lying on her back with her pale gold hair fanned out around her and the thin wire hoop of her halo cast aside in the grass, holding her book up in front of her, rereading – again. "Okay, so, seriously, why do they just kinda up and have sex like that?"

Zazu looked up at her. "They don't."

She looked horribly confused. I sat up. "Megan, you have to read between the lines a little. There's definitely some mutual affection there before page fourteen, especially in the scenes where they're eating together at camp."

"Ohhhhh..." She rolled over and wrote something in her packet.

One of the other girls shifted to prop her chin on her hand. "Guess that ' mutual affection' is something you see _all_ the time, eh, Suzann?"

I laughed a little. "Yeah, but they're a bit less subtle than they were. Well in some ways." I received a number of inquisitive looks. "Well, they don't hide that they like each other anymore. Ennis is not and never will be the mushy type, but the both are actually willing to act like a couple now. Fall asleep on the couch together about once a week..."

Everybody laughed.

We kept chatting like that as we worked and after a while I noticed that Drew, one of the rugby players, was looking majorly uncomfortable. I asked him what his issue was and he mumbled something I couldn't understand.

"Sorry, what was that?"

He fidgeted a little. "I said: I'm just getting a bit weirded out by you guys talking so comfortably about a gay romance."

I narrowed my eyes but Zazu laughed and responded before I could speak. "Drew, they aren't talking about a gay romance at all. Yes, the couple in question is homosexual, but I'm the only gay guy on the property unless there's something you don't about your teammates here." He held up his hands in a gesture of peace at the indignant looks the other rugby players gave him. "Hey, always a possibility, fellas, no offense meant. But Jack and Ennis are both bi, not gay."

"And, Drew," I said. "If you're not cool with homosexual relationships or those involved or interested in them," I looked towards Zazu. "You should go home. Like right now."

"That's not – I didn't – It's just –" Drew was clearly having trouble saying what he meant.

"You trying to say that it doesn't _really _bother you, you're just not used to it and therefor not quite comfortable with it and the fact that we seem totally cool with it is making you more uncomfortable?" I asked in one breath.

He nodded.

"That's fine then."

He sighed. Zazu laughed and told him I was just crazy like that.

A few minutes later, I heard the distinct jangle of tack as a saddled horse made its way up the other side of the hill. I looked around as my daddy crested the hill on Chessman, a strong, silver dapple stallion. My group looked up at him wearily. I smiled. "Hey, Daddy. Looks like Mulan didn't beat you up too bad."

"Nah, not today." He dismounted and sat down next to me. Every one but Zazu was watching him. He picked up my question packet and flipped through it. "You done?"

"Yup."

"How 'bout you, Zazu?'

Zazu flipped a few pages in his novella. "Almost."

"Good." He turned towards the rest of my classmates and they hastily tried to act like they hadn't been watching him. "How 'bout the rest of y'all?"

Everybody shook their heads and a few people muttered non-committal no's. Teagan, the goth chick of our class said, "Not even close."

"Hmm." Jack went back to flipping through my packet. "Suzann, there are two R's in Aguirre."

I took my questions back from him and fixed my mistake. "Thanks, Dad."

"Any time. You know, I'm not sure why y'all are looking at me like I'm something so interestin'; I'm really nothin' but a farm boy and a washed up bull rider."

A few of the girls opened their mouths to say something, but nothing came out. The rugby boys looked at each other, apparently trying to formulate a response. Zazu chuckled. "I don't think there's anything you're nothing but, Jack. For instance, a scholar –"

"For instance, gay," I interjected looking at Drew, who looked away, chagrined. I was having too much fun giving him a hard time.

My daddy laughed. "No, I'm definitely not either of those, but, uh, Suza –"

"Long story, Daddy."

He shook his head "Alright."

Megan let out a little squeak of terror and I looked around to see that Chessman was rather intently snuffling around her head. My daddy laughed and stood up. "Don't worry, he won't hurt ya; he's just being friendly."

He walked over and patted Chessman on the neck and shoulder, knelt down next to the now-sitting Megan, grabbing Chessman's bridle, took Megan's hand in his own, and placed it gently on Chessman's nose. The stallion snorted and licked Megan's wrist. She giggled.

"See, just being friendly." He stood back up. "I cannot cook, but if you kids are hungry you're welcome to come by the house, find yourselves somethin' to eat."

I raised an eyebrow. "Daddy, what about Ennis being pissed?"

"He and Tango have been appropriated."

Tango is one of our younger stallions. I nodded a little. "By whom?"

"George Stubbs."

"Ah. Figures." I stood. "So, food, anybody?"

We somehow all managed to fit into the kitchen, scrounging through the cabinets and fridge. Teagan had grabbed a protein bar and fled outside with Zazu into the yard. A tall, brunette girl named Sye was leaning against the counter next to the microwave waiting for a frozen mini-pizza to cook. One at a time, more of my classmates spilled into the yard. Collin, Aeron's other teammate, looked up at my dad from over the fridge door. "Uh, how pissed would you be if I had a bear?"

By now, every one had figured out that refined language was not a requirement at my house. My dad folded his arms. "That depends. How pissed would your mother be if I let you?"

Collin grinned. "Not very if it's just one. Exasperated for sure, but not too pissed."

"Then you can have _one."_

"Deal." Collin grabbed a bottle, closed the fridge with his foot, snatched his sloppily made sandwich off the counter, and headed outside.

Later that evening, I was leading Mononoke, a beautiful true-white mare with steal-blue eyes, around the yard. She'd hurt her leg a few weeks before and was still healing.

I heard hooves coming down the drive and saw Ennis trotting up with Tango. He rode up to me and got down. I hugged him and was hugged, a tad awkwardly back. Ennis doesn't really do hugs much.

I patted Tango and looked at Ennis as Mononoke nuzzled his neck. "Stubbs sure kept you a while."

"Eh, I got free food, it's okay."

I laughed and we started for the stables together. As he hung up Tango's tack, Ennis asked me, "What's this about you having almost half your Literature class over earlier?"

"Study group. We had a reading guide that had roughly a question and a half for each page in the book. Eighty questions for fifty-two pages of text." I sighed dramatically. "We got a lot done and had a good time."

"Hm."

I put one hand on my hip. "Ennis."

"What?"

"This ent so bad as you think. A lot of my classmates really admire you."

He turned away from me under the pretense of locking the feed room. "I''d rather they didn't know who I am."

"Papa..." He looked at me. It was rare that I called him that even though he was in no small way my other father. "I think it's good that they do. You've made mistakes, goodness knows, you're coarse and unrefined, you're a high school dropout, you drink you smoke, or you used to, you're the definition of why the saying about not letting your sons grow up to be cowboys exists," I walked forward and put my hand over his heart. "But you're strong. Here. Yeah, it's yours _and_ Daddy's story, but Annie tells it from your point of view, and that's a powerful perspective. It's y'all's story, but it's _your_ story she actually wrote. And the story she wrote, well, I'd bet that no-one in any of Mrs. Hemingway's classes will ever look at love, or what it means to be a man, quite the same way ever again."

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug, resting his cheek on the top of my head. I reached around his waste and hugged him back. He smelled like home to me.

I don't know how long we stood there like that, but eventually he said, "It's late, you'd better get to bed."

I nodded against his shirt. "M'kay, Papa."

He let me go and I turned to leave the stable and go back to the house as he turned back to check on the horses one last time. I wasn't sure, but I thought he was crying.

**A/N: Ohmigod, I didn't know I could write something so poignant. I'm like almost crying after writing that last scene.**

**Well anyway, this chapter is up faster than the last one, no idea when the next one will get done though.**

**Tango is a tribute to a friend of mine, she has a horse named Tango who is know to eat basically anything you put in front of him. He is a danger to his own health but he makes her happy.**

**Collin is based on a friend of mine who promised me he'd read this, but I don't think he's even been on the site.**

**Sye's name is pronounced like the word sky without the k.**

**Mononoke (which means vengeful spirit in Japanese) is a reference to _Princess Mononoke_ or _Mononoke-hime_ by filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. She looks like a horse version of the giant wolves that appear in the film. **

**George Stubbs is a 18****th**** -century painter know for his paintings of horses. For more information, check out **_**.org/wiki/George_Stubbs**__**.**_

**This is the end of this particular mini-arc, so starting next chapter we'll be back in the present day (this happened last year, remember?). This is gonna be fun, both Jack and Ennis's anniversary and Suzann's birthday are coming up, as well as maybe a camping trip or two. I'd love to and totally would just spend all my time writing on this but I have my own stories and practical stuff (school, laundry, car, etc.) to deal with. Sigh. **

**As always, **c**omments and questions in reviews can be directed at either me or Suzann. Those that are directed at Suzann will be answered in character.**

**Happy fanfic-ing! Reviews appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

Okay, so it's about three in the morning right now. I woke up a few minutes ago for an unknown reason, probably kicked the wall next to my bed or somethin' like that, but I heard some pretty dang colorful language comin' from my fathers' room. Now I dunno if it's what you probably think it is, which is probably what I think it might be, but that's definitely a possibility. In light of this, and since I'm awake anyway, I thought I'd write something up about my fathers', uh, relationship, or what I know of it.

I know everything in the book/movie, but there's a definite gap in what I know between that & when I moved in with them, as there should be 'cause I ent a creeper. I do know, though, that not long after I was born, Jack and Ennis started seeing each other again. Since their relationship has been sexual for as long as it's really been more than a friendship, I'm gonna say it's safe to assume that when they started seeing each other again, they started sleeping together again. It's also probably safe to assume that the first time they saw each other in this world put the "reunion scene" four years after their summer on the mountain to shame as my daddy's been dead for twenty or so years. I know that Daddy already had Mil. Sky when Ennis arrived and I know from Teiah that Ennis'd be here at some real questionable hours of the night (I'm pretty much convinced Teiah doesn't sleep). Not quite a year after I was born Jack & Lureen split 'cause she'd found out about him and Ennis. From what I've heard, she found out a lot like Alma did. Jack was at Mil. Sky for the weekend, which was pretty normal, and I was with my gran for the day so my mama could get some stuff done. Apparently some of the stuff she had to get done included bring something to my dad at Mil. Sky.

Well, when she got there, he wasn't in the stables or the field house, so she went into the house, and there was Jack and Ennis, making out on the living room floor. My mama didn't just do Alma's thing of looking shocked and confused, no, she started yelling about how she'd always suspected but never said anything 'cause she wanted to trust him, and how could he do this to her, she'd born his children twice, been there for his son by her self after he'd gone and gotten himself killed, been faithful and there for him for years, and who was this man to make Jack cheat, and etc.

Of course either Jack or Ennis had a counter to most of what she said, but my daddy really was sorry for hurting her. Eventually it came down to that he loved Ennis more, Ennis understood him better, as he still does.

After that they got married. Take a wild guess where they honeymooned. Here's a hint: they had to break the rule about made-Angels not returning to their worlds of origin within a century of their deaths. I think we all know what happened then.

And here's the gap. I know nothing for about a decade until I move in. Even after that I don't know much. They're discrete about things. Yes, I do find them asleep on the couch together about once a week, give or take, usually with the TV on a channel we have that's analogous to TV land. Yes, they're more openly affectionate with one another than they used to be. Yes, I've seen them like really kissing, but my word never on purpose. But I don't know when they have sex, I know that they do, but that's about all I know.

I go camping with Zazu, Cissy, and her brother Mink every summer, so I bet shit happens then. The two of them also go camping just the two of them every year so again, I bet shit happens. What I do for them on their anniversary pretty much always involves isolating them from the rest of the world for twenty-four to seventy-two hours, most of the point being to let shit happen.

In general though, I don't know much and I'm glad of it. I'll post this in the morning, right now I'm going back to sleep.

**A/N: Just an idea I had late at night while eating cheap cheese. Just a short, one-page, anarrative drabble, but I think it gives a good insight into everybody's lives.** **Honorable mention to the first person to guess where Jack and Ennis honeymooned, it's not that hard, guys.**

**Comments and questions in reviews can be directed at either me or Suzann. Those that are directed at Suzann will be answered in character.**

**Happy fanfic-ing! Reviews appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

Okay, the first part of this next little story I can't tell myself 'cause I wasn't in the know about what was goin' on, so Zazu is gonna tell part of it for me. Maybe all; it depends.

Yes, I'm telling this because Suzann's nose was somehow kept out of something for a meaningful amount of time.

Her birthday was a while back on the twenty-fourth, and we, that's me, Cissy, Fiera, Megan, and Suzann's boyfriend Jorden, with some cooperation from Jack and Ennis, threw her a party. It definitely wasn't a surprise party, she knew it was coming, but we managed to keep that all she knew.

Everything got started the Sunday before her birthday. I was walking to Four Seasons Park just to get out of the house when Fiera tackled me. "Z-man!" She let go of me. "Guess what Saturday is!"

I ran a hand through my hair. "Uh, other than Suzann's birthday?"

She shook her head, smiling hugely. "No, Suzann's birthday." She grabbed my hands; I'd decided long ago that she doesn't have a boyfriend because she scares most guys. "Ohmigoodness, we have _got_ to have a party for her! But she can't know about it, okay? C'mon, you're not busy, are you? Lets go to my place, I'll call Meg. Uh, do you know Suzann's BF's number?'

I nodded.

"Great! C'mon."

I was on the phone with my mother explaing how I'd been kidnapped by a rabid, party-planning cheerleader when Jorden arrived at Fiera's house. Poor boy looked so lost _before_ Fiera started barking orders at him.

"Whoa, whoa, hold up, what's going on here?" He had his hands up as if to ward off the energetic strawberry-blonde.

"We're planning a birthday party for Suzann," Megan said, riffling through a girls' magazine.

"Oh, uh, okay."

Sixteen hours of planing, during which Jorden and I did virtually nothing, and three days later, the four of us touched down in the yard at Mil. Sky and were immediately greeted by a very excited, muddy Skipper. Fiera looked around and, seeing no-one, turned to me. "Where do you think they are?"

"Why would I know?"

"You work here part-time."

I sighed. "Probably the field house or, judging by Skipper, the pond on the Magnell's part of the property."

Skipper barked and started running circles around my feet. Jorden laughed. "Pond it is then."

As we walked past the Magnell's fields, Skipper close behind us, Cissy abandoned her work tending corn to her brothers and sister to come talk to us. "Hey, Z, Meg, Jay, Fiera. What you up to?"

Fiera put her fingers to her lips shrewdly. "That's going to depend on where Suzann is and how well you can not tell her something."

Cissy crossed her arms over her just-covered-enough chest. Her shirt was tied Daisy Duke-style. "Suzann's on the other side of town with some kids' summer camp and I can definitely neglect to ever tell her something, dependin' on what it is." Skipper put her paws up on Cissy's hip and she pet her between the ears, ignoring the mud.

Megan grinned. "We're planing a birthday party for Suzann."

Cissy's big, blue eyes got wide. "That's right, that's on Saturday, ain't it?" She pushed her curly blonde bangs behind her ear. "I gotta come with you then. You goin' to beg cooperation from Jack and Ennis?"

We all nodded.

"Well okay then. They're this way here."

She lead us around a little stand of trees until we came into view of a little pond. The water itself was clear but the banks were trampled and muddy. Several of the horses were splashing around in the water, and so was Jack, wearing nothing but a pair of khaki shorts. Ennis was standing just past where mud ended in jeans and a shirt with rolled up sleeves, leaning against and being leaned against by a varnish roan Appaloosa named Hawthorn as he dislodged a rock from the stallion's hoof.

Ennis set down Hawthorn's hoof and looked up at us. "Jack, we've got company."

"Hm?" Jack looked towards Ennis then, looking where he was looking, turned to us. "Hey, what're y'all doin' here? Suzann's across town." He paused momentarily. "Cissy aren't you supposed to be picking corn, or somethin' like that?"

Cissy rolled her eyes as Jack sloshed is way over to us and Ennis turned his attention to another horse. "Uhg, Jack, if I can't at least leave menial labor to my siblings what's the bloody good of having them?"

He chuckled. "I wouldn't know."

Cissy laughed and Fiera put her hands on her hips. "Can I tell you why we're here now?"

"Yeah, go ahead, why _are_ you here?"

Fiera cracked her knuckles back. "We're gonna throw Suzann a birthday party." She looked thrilled.

Jack half laughed, half sighed. "Okay, and?"

By now Ennis had walked around the edge of the pond to where we were standing with Jack. I noticed with mild surprise that I'd gotten to be taller than both of them.

"I think the plan was to have the party here," Jorden said and received a mildly murderous look from Jack. "It wasn't my idea." He took a quick step behind Megan.

Ennis almost chuckled, he did at least smile. "You know he's only pretendin' to hate you, Jorden."

Jack and Jorden both made little, negative, non-verbal sounds, one of disagreement, the other of disbelief.

Ennis shook his head. "Stubborn son of a... Jack, I think Chessman has a stone in his left front hoof like Hawthorn did, could you go check that out?"

Jack gave Ennis a pretty much unreadable look but waded out to the silver dapple nonetheless.

Now Ennis really did chuckle. "He really doesn't mind you, he just has to scare ya a little."

"Why?" Jorden looked fairly desperate.

"You're dating his little girl, gotta keep you check."

"I wou– He– Oh, never mind."

Ennis snorted in amusement and turned to Fiera. "Now about this party."

She grinned in a way quite reminiscent of the Cheshire Cat. "Yeesss?"

"If you can pull a party together in three days, it's fine with me, but you gotta get everything worked out for yourselves."

She clasped her hands excitedly. "_Never_ doubt the social organizing skills of a high school cheerleader."

"Alright, I won't."

Jack walked back over with a lump of mud in one hand which he promptly squished on Ennis's head. "That your stone?"

Megan clapped a hand to her mouth to keep herself from laughing and Cissy quietly said, "Oh, very mature."

Ennis just looked at Jack for a moment, "I don't think so, no," then pushed him back roughly into the water.

Jack stumbled and fell with a splash, causing several of the horses to look up suddenly. Ennis offered Jack a hand, which he took, and used to pull Ennis into the water with him.

Megan burst out laughing. She managed to gasp out, "I'm going home now," before she unfurled her mousey brown wings and took off.

"I'm gonna go, too," Jorden said, "Before Jack is moved to homicide," and followed suet.

"I'm gonna get back to that corn." Cissy walked away.

Fiera turned to me. "I don't know about you, but I'm staying; this is hot." She jerked her thumb at the two men wrestling in the shallow water.

I couldn't help but laugh, Fiera was just too out-there. "Yeah, I'll stay too. Let's go over here." I lead her over to the other bank where Ennis had been when we'd arrived. As Fiera sat in the grass watching Jack and Ennis, Mononoke came up to me and butted her head against my shoulder. I patter her nose and she whinnied. "Yeah, girl, you're right, I know she's a creeper." She snorted and flicked her tail. "And they are idiots."

I was sitting at the table in the kitchen reading Wikipedia on my phone when Suzann came home. She plopped down in the chair across from me, smiling. "Hey, Zazu."

"Hey, Suzann."

She twiddled her thumbs together. "So what have you guys been plannin' these past few days?"

"What are you talking about?"

She sighed. "I know y'all have been up to somethin', what is it? Is it about my birthday?"

"No, no– "

"I knew it!"

I sighed. "You're impossible."

She nodded. "Mhmm. Hey, do yourself a favor, invite, oh, what's his name, the lacrosse player you've been crushin' on for the past six months, Max. Invite Max, okay?"

"Uh, okay. I mean I'm not inclined to argue with that."

"Exactly." She stood and leaned forward to ruffle my hair.

The morning of the twenty-fourth came and Fiera had orders for everybody. Mine were to keep Suzann occupied and away from Mil. Sky until five that evening. Why this particular assignment was given to me and not Jorden, I have no clue, but you don't argue with Fiera when she's on a mission unless you want to be in worse need of therapy than Jack is.

We'd spent most of the day at the mall and the giant arcade next door, been mistaken for a couple several times and for siblings just as often, and spent way too much time complaining about the current lack of movies worth seeing. At one point we came across a little fair with a "horse riding experience," the operator of which was quickly showed up by Suzann.

Around 4:40 we'd returned and were sent into quarantine at Teiah's house. We talked to the non-clinically insane rice farmer a little, Then Suzann flopped onto Teiah's old, beat-up couch and started singing _Strawberry Wine_. Halfway through the second verse she stopped and sat up. "I'm bored, Z."

"I know. Hey, ten minutes till five." I sat next to her and started Dutch-braiding her hair.

"Zazu, you are so– "

"I swear if you say gay I'm gonna smack you."

"Not macho."

"That works."

"You are so gay, though."

I hit her lightly on the shoulder.

"Zazu!"

"I told you."

"Uhg." I could tell she was rolling her eyes even though I couldn't see her face. "But you are, not 'cause you're braiding my hair, though that doesn't help your standing in this argument, but just in general."

"Oh, I know that. It all depends on how you define gay. Homosexual, without a doubt. Flamboyant and colorful, yeah that too. Irritating, screwed up, and uncool, depends on who you ask."

She laughed and I pulled the hair tie off her wrist to tie off the now finished braid.

Teiah wandered into the room wearing an apron over a floor-length skirt and bikini top, her short, straw-colored hair sticking up crazily. "You two might want to come to the door."

We went to the door and we found, standing just past Teiah's front porch, Jack, standing with Mononoke. The mare's saddle and tack were gleaming, spotless black leather, her mane and tail were braided, and roses had been woven daisy-chain-style around her reins. Jack smiled. "Your mount, Princess."

Suzann ran forward and hugged him and he lifted her up into the saddle. She grinned down at me. "Guess this explains why Fiera told me to dress up."

I grinned back. "Sure does."

She was dressed up quite nicely: silky, red blouse, slightly sparkly, light-grey jeans, silver-studded, black boots.

She twisted around in the saddle, a light breeze lifting her feathery bangs, to try to see where her father had gone around the corner of the house. "Now what?"

He returned leading Phantom, a beautiful Arabian stallion, and Opera, a slender, sorrel mare. "Now, Zazu and I will be escorting you to your party."

"Okay, cool."

I climbed into Opera's saddle as Jack mounted Phantom and the three of us rode to the big pasture out by the stables.

Fiera and Megan, with help from Cissy and her two brothers, as well as our school's boys' rugby team and cheerleading team, had turned the pasture into essentially an outdoor nightclub, complete with lights, music, and a bar, and it was filled with people. Most every one that knows Suzann had been invited, even her mother was talked into coming. They all cheered when we rode up.

Jack hopped down and helped Suzann to the ground as dismounted much less skillfully. Suzann vaulted over the mortised split-rail fence. She hugged her awkward-looking mother tightly, half-tackled Fiera, hugged Megan, tacked Cissy, kissed Jorden sweetly on the cheek and had a slight spazz attack upon almost walking into Heath before hugging the talented Australian.

I would have been perfectly happy to sit on the fence watching the proceedings until Teagan came up to me. "You, down. Lacrosse boy, over there." She pointed. "Go on, get." She smacked me in the small of the back and stared at me until I did as told.

I found Max in the general area Teagan had indicated and we talked a little, resisting several girls' suggestions that we go dance, until Max's sister came and dragged him away. Shortly afterward, I found myself face to face with Alma. "Oh, hello, Mrs. Monroe."

"Hello, Zazu." She looked a little dazed.

"I didn't know you were here."

She laughed nervously and fakely. "I don't know why I'm here."

She had mostly reconciled with Ennis and Jack over the past few years, but things were still awkward between them. For a long time her attitude hadn't changed at all, then she suddenly seemed to grasp the fact that her ex was legitimately in love with another man and that somehow made the situation better in her mind. I do not pretend that this makes any sense to me, but I do have a theory as to where her revelation about Ennis's emotional state may have came from. At the time of her turn around, a local theatre had been running a collection of the greatest cowboy movies of all time.

Interestingly, Alma gets along better with Jack than with Ennis. Admittedly, Jack is generally the easier to get along with of the two, but in this case you wouldn't think that would have much effect. Again, I don't pretend to understand this woman.

Now one thing those does make a certain sense: Alma and Lureen get along great most of the time. This in mind, I said, "You know, Lureen's here."

"Oh, is she? I haven't seen her. Have you talked to her?"

I shook my head. "No, she kinda hates me."

"Oh, that's a shame, you're such a nice boy."

"Thank you, ma'am."

She nodded a little and wandered off. I heard a young woman's voice say, "Such a nice boy whom she views as a painful reminder of her husband's betrayal through some associative process I fail to grasp."

I turned to see A.J. "Your mother and Lureen both need therapy."

She nodded. "I know."

"Learned how to fly yet?"

"Not hardly. You seen my dad?"

"Bar."

"Ah. Thanks." She headed in the direction of the flames from the bartendress's more extravagant tricks.

Later that night, I was standing, shirtless, outside of the field house, pounding on the the door with my fist, yelling at the people inside to let me in. Ennis walked up to me looking mildly amused. "Tell me they're not playin' strip poker in there."

"They're not, but Fiera probably wouldn't object to the idea."

"Who stole you're shirt? No, wait, Fiera, right?"

I nodded."

"And Fiera locked you out."

"Of course."

He fished a ring of key's out of his pocket and called over his shoulder, "Esmeralda, com'ere a minute, would ya?"

The intense, dark-haired woman appeared near-instantly at Ennis's elbow as he unlocked the door. "Yes?"

"Break this up for me?"

"Certainly."

Ennis swung open the huge, rough wooden door and Esmeralda strode in, all authority. "Alright, this is the Jerusalem Royal Mounted guard. Everybody out of the field house, and give this extraordinarily red-haired boy back his shirt."

A few of the girls squealed and a herd of teenagers and young adults tumbled out of the field house. Ennis had to shout to be heard over the chatter. "It's almost eleven, unless you have one friggin' good reason not to, you had all best be getting home."

Within minutes, only Ennis, Esmeralda, Suzann, A.J., D.J. the bartendress, Cissy, her siblings and I were left in the yard. The Magnells bid every one goodnight and headed for there own house. Esmeralda fisted her hand over heart and bowed to Ennis before leaping into the night sky. D.J. Graciously accepted a check from Jack, slung her bag over her shoulder, and took off. A.J. hugged her father and step-sister and warmly shook her step-father's, well, other step-father's hand and headed for home on foot.

Suzann looked up at Ennis. "Does getting kidnapped by the birthday girl count as one friggin' good reason?"

He nodded and Jack said, "I'd sure say it does."

She hugged them both, grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the house. As she pulled open the infernally squeaky kitchen door, I looked back and saw, in the pool of light from the bare bulb on the corner of the field house roof, Jack standing with his back against Ennis's chest, Ennis's arm across his chest, leaning his head against the crook of Ennis's neck. Then Suzann pulled me inside and dragged me to her room.

**A/N: This is _exactly_ five pages in OpenOffice. Yay.**

**Okay, so a Dutch-braid is a kind of French-braid. What we typically refer to as a French-braid is actually a Dutch-braid, so Zazu's just French-braiding Suzann's hair in that one scene. There is actually no relationship between the braids and the countries they're named for; in French, a French-braid is called an African-braid.**

**I don't think I've mentioned this, but his mother's a hairdresser, so between that and the fact that he works with horses, Z knows how to do all kinds of cool braiding.**

**Much Wiki-ing and YouTube-ing happened during this chapter for reference purposes, so I hope everything turned out well.**

**As always, comments and questions in reviews can be directed at either me or Suzann, but now they can also be directed at Zazu. Those that are directed at Suzann or Zazu will be answered in character.**

**Happy fanfic-ing! Reviews appreciated!**


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, my fathers' anniversary is the twelfth, that's yesterday, and I thought I'd relate what (I know to have) happened this year.

It started with my alarm going off at two-thirty in the morning. I got up, got dressed, went downstairs, and ate a toaster waffle all as quietly as I could. I took the long way out of the house to avoid the still-not-fixed banshee of a kitchen door we've had for as long as I can remember, led the few horses that were awake to the big pasture and gently woke the others before doing the same with them. They'd have food and water in the big pasture and summers here are never too hot, so they'd be fine. I went back in and left a note saying the horses were taken care of on the floor of the hallway just outside my father's bedroom door. With the note, I left a bottle of none-too-cheap brandy I'd been hiding in the back of my closet for the past week. I'm realistic about the kind of people my father's are, they're cowboys from any point of view. Not merely cowboys, but cowboys nonetheless; not the kind of people who went out to fancy restaurants on their anniversary. I tried not to think too hard about the kind of thing they _are_ likely to do on their anniversary. I mean, all for loving, intimate relationships between spouses, but, um, nasty.

Yeah, back in tenth grade, I was the only girl in my Lit. class who wasn't freaked by the guy/guy romance _and_ didn't think page fourteen was drool-worthy.

The horses were dealt with, note and booze were left, all I had to do was get out of the house, which I did in a hurry.

Sometime around four-forty-five, I found myself tapping on the window of Zazu's bedroom. He got up, blearily opened the window and let me in, then we both fell on two the old, beat-up bed he's had since he was a kid and went back to sleep.

Almost four hours later, we were awoken by Zazu's mother. "Suzann?"

I blinked myself awake to see her standing in his doorway, canary yellow hair pulled back loosely in a messy bun, basket full of laundry under one arm, eyebrows arched in some blend of surprise, concern, and confusion. I sat up. "Uh, good morning Ms. Aiki."

Her brows twisted themselves into a suspicious scowl. "What are you doing in Zazu's room at eight A.M?"

At the sound of his name, Zazu stirred a little. This took the form of wrapping one arm around my wast and burying his face in my hip, which, naturally, did nothing to dispel his mother's look of suspicion. I ran my fingers through his hair and sighed, rolling my eyes. "Ms. Aiki, it's the twelfth of July."

Understanding dawned on her face and she mouthed an "Oh."

"So all I'm doing here is staying far away from my house. And Ms. Aiki, you know this," I gestured at the awkward embrace Zazu had me in, "is nothing like that."

She smiled almost sadly and sighed. "I know." She shifted her basket and put her other hand on her hip. "Zazu! Get up, put this away," she set the basket down, "you and Suzann can do, well, whatever, I need to get ready for work."

Zazu sat bolt upright and his mother turned down the little hallway of their flat, walking with all the authority of a general. I couldn't help but laugh. Zazu shot me a mildly sour look then got up and started putting his laundry into the drawers of his chifforobe. There aren't any clothes in his closet, that's where his desk is.

That afternoon, while Zazu and I were sitting on the edge of Mire's Cliff, north of town, repeatedly pushing each other off, only for them to open their wings, swoop up and land exactly where they'd been sitting, looking rather pissed, my phone rang. I looked at the caller ID to find that it was Cissy's older brother, Howl. I answered it. "Hello?"

The chorus of greetings on the other end told me I was on speaker, and that the entire Magnell family, Teiah, and Skipper were all there. As everyone else went back to whatever they were doing, Howl cleared his throat. "Would you mind helping me convince Lin that she can't go ride horses today?"

In the background I could hear six-year-old Lin whining that she wanted to go, it was Monday, she was supposed to ride horses on Monday, etc. I sighed internally. Zazu, who had his head against the other side of my phone, listening in, laughed a little.

"Lin, honey?" I began.

I heard her shove past her other brother, Mink, to get closer to the phone I was pretty sure was sitting on their kitchen table. "Yes?"

"I know it's Monday, and Monday's your day to come over and ride– "

She cut me off. "Uhhuh! So I wanna ride!"

"But you can't today, I'm sorry."

"But why?" She made the "ai" part of why last about four times as long as it should,

"'Cause today's a special day for Jack and Ennis."

I heard hastily stifled snickers from Howl, Cissy, and Teiah before Lin asked, "What kind of a special day?"

Now Zazu had to keep himself from snickering. I pushed him off the cliff. "It's the day they got married."

"Huh? But haven't they been married a long time?"

"Yeah, but it's like how your birthday is the day you were born. You aren't born every year, but you still know it's your birthday."

"Oh, so it's like the birthday of them bein' married?"

Zazu took his seat next to me, folding his brightly colored wings, and leaning in to listen in on my conversation again. I rolled my eyes and answered Lin. "Yeah, it's a lot like that."

"Are they havin' a party, and that's why I can't go ride?"

I had to think about that, yet I was trying not to think about the bases of my answer. "Yeah, kinda."

"If they're havin' a party, why aren't I invited?" She was sniffling like she was gonna cry.

I pinched the bridge of my nose with my free hand. "Lin, it's a real little party, just the two of them."

I heard Howl mutter, "the two of them and brandy," then the distinct sound of Mrs. Magnell's rosary bead-covered arm coming up to smack him lightly on the back of his head. He said something about "Brandy" being a girls name and Cissy said that wasn't what he meant. Lin said, "Who's Brandy?"

Teiah answered before I could. "Nobody, sweety. Your brother was just making a not-very-clever joke."

"Oh, okay." Lin addressed me again. "So it's really just the two of them at the party?"

"Uhhuh, not even me and Skipper are invited. Skipper's there with you and I'm up at Mire's Cliff."

"Oh, I guess that's okay then." She hit the call end button.

Within seconds I had a thank-you text from Cissy.

Zazu looked at me, one eyebrow raised in a way quite reminiscent of his mother. "A party?"

"Don't have me think about that."

"Okay..." He shoved me off the cliff, but I grabbed his wrist and dragged him down with me.

We didn't return to the cliff, instead we headed towards his mother's salon. On the way there, I found myself comparing our wings, something we'd spent a lot of time doing as kids. Mine are like a mockingbird's in shape and pattern, but more of a sandy brown than the warm grey most mockingbirds are. His are like a Macaw's. Either a Scarlet Macaw or a Jamaican Red Macaw, we've never worked that out. Sixty square feet of bright red, yellow, and blue feathers is quite impressive.

When we walked in to the salon, the girl at the desk, who I recognized from school, looked up, saw Zazu, and said, "Your mother's in the back." looked down at her Sudoku book and didn't say another word.

I followed Z to the back room, where his mother immediately put us to work. No surprise there, that happens every time we come here.

After a while a heard a voice that I knew and peeked my head out of the back to see Alma following one of Aiki's underlings to an empty chair. I tried to duck back into the store room before the auburn haired woman spotted me.

"Suzann? Is that you?"

Crap. I stepped out from behind the door. "Yeah, it's me. Hey, Alma." I hoped my smile didn't look too fake.

"I sure didn't think I'd see you here." She sat and the young, obviously at least part Asian hairdresser tied one of those smock-things around her neck. "Why don't you come here and we talk a little?"

Zazu shot me a sympathetic look. I walked over and leaned next to the mirror, out of the hairdresser, Sachiko's, way.

Alma smiled at me, it looked too cheery to be totally heartfelt. "Shouldn't you be at home? Don't you help teach riding lessons over the summer?"

"Oh, uh, yeah, I do help teach, in the mornings mostly though. There aren't any lessons today though."

"Oh, how come?"

Sachiko glanced up at me from studiously clipping Alma's hair. The look she gave me only lasted a fraction of a second, but its meaning was clear: this could get interesting. She knew, of course she knew. Hairdressers seem to know every bit gossip there is to know almost before it happens.

I cleared my throat. "Um, student holiday I guess you could say."

"Seems an odd day for that."

"Well, there are never lessons on July twelfth."

She gave me an inquiring look as Sachiko shot me another meaningful glance over her head. "Some one's birthday over there?"

I fidgeted, tugging at the hem of my _Winter's Price_ t-shirt. I don't really mind my stepfather's ex, but I'm not particularly comfortable with her either. "Anniversary."

"Hmm?"

I kept playing with my shirt, I got it this past year when Jorden took me to see the stage show its opening night. He knew I liked Shakespeare. "It's, uh, somebody's anniversary, not anybody's birthday."

"Whose? Ms. Grover isn't married, is it the couple with all those kids?"

I laughed a little despite myself. "No, Teieh's not married, it'd take some kind of a man to keep up with her. And, uh, Mr. and Mrs. Magnell got married in November. No, uh. It's, it's my dads' anniversary."

"Oh." I could see her shut down emotionally. I give her credit for being able to be civil with both my daddy and Ennis now, even kinda get along with them sometimes, but she still has issues, and I can't really blame her, even though they irk me.

I pushed away from the wall. "My friend is doing inventory in the back, I should really go help him." And with that I made my escape.

I stayed the night at Zazu's and came home this morning. The house was empty when I got here so I went out to the stables. And there was my daddy, brushing Chessman as the stallion munched happily on some hay.

"Hey, Daddy."

He looked over shoulder at me at grinned. "Good mornin', Suzann."

I ducked under Chessman's neck to stand next to my dad. "Happy belated anniversary?"

He laughed and hugged me. "Thanks."

Just then, Ennis walked in, leading Tango, telling Skipper to get out of his fuckin' way. My dad and I couldn't help but laugh. Sometimes Ennis is just so, well, Ennis.

**A/N: Woot, got this chapter up on the day that it's set. I'm proud.**

**No idea why Lin wound up in the story like that, it just kinda happened.**

**If you've never heard of a Jamaican Red Macaw, there's a good reason. There existence is only hypothetical and if they ever were real they're now extinct but I decided I could take some liberties with that since this set in heaven.**

**I just bought the BBM blueray so I'll be watching that soon. Very excited.**

**Next chapter soon. Soon-ish. Maybe. I hope.**


	8. Chapter 8

It's storming like crazy right now, Ennis is at work, and my daddy's busy, so I'm gonna right more.

The story I'm tellin' here happened when I was about six, before I lived with my dad, before that fight with my mama, before I'd figured out why I couldn't spend the night if Ennis was there, before Zazu had enough sexual awareness to realize he's gay.

It was early winter, just starting to really get cold, and it was raining a lot like it is right now. It was around five in the evening, my daddy, Ennis and I were all siting on the couch, watching some syndicated TV show. I was curled up against my daddy, he was leaning against Ennis and Skipper's mama, a collie named Tammie, was sitting on their feet. At some point, Ennis got up and went to put on his boots by the door. "Guess I should be goin'."

I jumped up and ran over to him, hugging his legs. "No! Ennis I want you to stay here!" My voice was muffled against him.

He patted my hair. "Suzann."

I clutched the fabric of his jeans tighter. "Mh-mm."

He let out a breath that wasn't quite a sigh. "C'mere, you." I released my strangle hold on his knees and let him pick me up. Now that my face wasn't smushed against Ennis's thigh, I saw that my daddy had gotten up and was standing a couple feet away, Tammie close behind him. Ennis tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. "Suzann, I gotta go to work."

I latched my arms around his neck. "Nuhhuh."

I felt my daddy's hand on my back. Ennis nodded slowly. "Uhhuh. I gotta go to work, the Guard horses have somethin' important they gotta do 'nd I gotta go with 'em. 'Sides, if I don't go, you gotta go back to your mama."

I was silent for a moment, then I let go of Ennis's neck and turned in his arms to reach out to my daddy. He took me from Ennis and gave him a one-armed hugged. Ennis hugged him back, kissed him on the cheek and muttered somethin' to him I didn't quite catch and probably wasn't meant to, kissed the top of my head, shrugged into his raincoat, and went out the door.

I hid my face in my daddy's neck and he pet my hair. "Daddy?"

"Hm?"

"Can we play in the rain?"

I unhid and he looked me in the eye very seriously. "Does your mother let you play in the rain?"

I looked away. "No..."

"You know it's getting awfully dark."

My eyes were fixed on the corner of the ceiling off to my right. "There're lights..."

"It's starting to get pretty cold too."

"I don't mind."

I met his gaze again and he just looked at me for a minute. He put me down. "Go put your boots on."

"Yay! Thank you, Daddy!" I hugged him then ran to find my boots.

We ran around outside in the yard, chasing each other, being herded by Tammie, falling over, and getting muddy for what seemed like hours and hours, but was really only about fort-five minutes. My daddy hadn't bothered to wear his hat, so both of us had rain-spiked hair when we came in. Tammie's fur was plastered to her back, visually shrinking her by about half.

The three of us stood dripping in the kitchen for a moment before my daddy said, "You need a bath, little lady." He picked me up. "You're all muddy."

I giggled. "Daddy! You're muddy too!"

He looked down at himself and feigned shock. "I guess I need a bath too, then, don't I?"

Tammie barked and put her front paws up my daddy's hip, the one I wasn't on. I giggled again. "And Tammie."

My daddy pet the drenched sheepdog's head. "And Tammie."

We went to the downstairs bathroom, Tammie obediently on our heels, shed our clothing, took off Tammie's collar, and had a bath. Six-year-old plus ex-rodeo cowboy plus a ninety-odd pound dog equals a very splashy bath.

Eventually we were all clean and toweled off (toweling off Tammie took a lot of work) and my daddy and I were dressed. This still left the wet, muddy trail we'd left to be cleaned up. I didn't wanna clean.

"Suzann, we can't leave it like this."

I pouted.

He sighed and knelt down so he was eye to eye with me. "Hey, what if we make it a race?"

"Okay."

So we had a floor cleaning race, both of us on our hands and knees with old, ratty towels, Tammie running around us but carefully staying out of the way and out of the mud.

When everything was clean, I asked, "So who won?"

My daddy ran a hand through his only mostly dry hair, making it stick up. "Uh..."

Tammie made a warbly sound that wasn't quite a bark and pressed her head against my shoulder.

My daddy smiled. "Guess you did, Tammie seems to think so."

I smiled and laughed, hugging Tammie.

**A/N: Just a random little flashback chapter. Not sure if it's about the rain or the dog or what. My dad had a collie named Tammie when he was a kid and I've already said that Skipper's half collie so...**

**Did not expect this to be up so fast but hey no complaints.**

**Um couple things about the previous chapter that I just now thought of:**

**Yes Jack and Ennis probably were drinking brandy all day, why aren't the hung over? Uh, they're Angels? Best explanation I've got.**

**Yes Suzann did buy brandy, she's three years over the local drinking age, which I've already said is fifteen. I realize that is the kind of thing that's likely to slip people's minds, though.**

**Comments and questions in reviews can be directed at me, Suzann or Zazu. Those that are directed at Suzann or Zazu will be answered in character.**

**Happy fanfic-ing!**


	9. Chapter 9

Sometimes I just do not understand Suzann. She left yesterday on a camping trip with Zazu, Cissy, Mink, and I think Megan up to the Blitzhimmel mountains way north of town. Somewhere in getting packed and leaving, she left her laptop on her bed, running, with her fanfiction account up. Good thing for her _I _found it, not Ennis. I'm just disbelieving and amused, he'd be pissed. Well, I figure, since I've found this anyway, I might as well type something up.

Esmeralda showed up this morning and dragged Ennis off to the Guard stables. Third time that's happened this week. I'm not sure what's goin' on with that. Shit, I'm not quite sure what Ennis's job actually is, don't think he is either. It's somethin' along the lines of barn boss.

I'm in the rare position of having time between lessons and not having anything else I need to do, so I'm doin' this.

A.J.'s here, Lin's following her around and Skipper's following Lin. It's really funny actually. When we got the call a couple years ago from one of the clerks at the Angel of Death's office that she'd crossed over, Ennis lost it for a few days. Can't say I blame 'im, dyin's rough, we both know that, and she's his little girl no matter how old she's gotten.

I can't walk past the AoD's office without shuddering. I'd feel like a sissy for it if I didn't know that most people are freaked out by that place for at least a couple hundred years after they die. It's just a plain, unremarkable government building, somethin' like a cross between a police station, airport security, and an immigration office, I guess. Nothin' particularly unnerving about it except that it's where you end up when you die.

I saw that little thing Suzann wrote about playin' in the rain when she was little. Stuff like that happened all the time, still does some. Tammie was a real good dog, died a few years ago and now Skipper's trying to take her place. It ain't workin' too good, Skipper's just too goofy. Just like Skipper though, nobody was sure who Tammie actually belonged to.

Lin's buggin' me to go ride and A.J.'s givin' me this look like "please entertain the six-year-old before I go crazy," so I'd better be doin' that. A.J. Can be an awful lot like her father, neither of 'em's good to be around when they're too irritated.

**A/N: Just another anarrative rant of a chapter, but you do realize who wrote it, right?**

**As always, comments and questions in reviews can be directed at either me, Suzann or Zazu, but now they can also be directed at Jack. Those that are directed at Suzann, Zazu, or Jack will be answered in character.**

**Noticing a pattern here? Yes as additional character write chapters, they will be added to the list of characters who can be contacted via reviews.**

**Happy fanfic-ing! Reviews appreciated!**


	10. Chapter 10

Okay, first of all: What the frick? My daddy found this, didn't tell Ennis or ground me for life and _posted a King-forsaken chapter himself_? I think I'm either having a real elaborate hallucination or my daddy's even crazier (and awesomer) than I thought.

Okay, okay, I can freak out more later. I just got back from camping a couple days ago, it was a lot of fun, but it doesn't get its own chapter, too repetitive with all the freaking out Mink and teasing Zazu and keeping Meg from getting hurt and me and Cissy laughing at everybody else's ridiculousness.

What I am gonna write a chapter about: the riding lesson I gave this morning. I went out to the stables a little later than I would have, having slept in a bit. My dad was chasing Daisy-May around outside and Ennis was in the stable, fussing with Tango's hoofs, talking to Heath who was leaning against the wall. As per usual, I couldn't quite hear what Ennis was saying.

Heath shook his head. "Ennis, you know that's not true."

Ennis shot him a very Ennis-like glare, which Heath returned with another very Ennis-like glare. Heath is the one person who can imitate Ennis better than me and my daddy.

Ennis set down Tango's hoof and shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, well, maybe I don't."

I cleared my throat. "Good mornin'."

Heath said good morning back but Ennis just snorted, obviously in a bad mood over somethin', no telling what.

I laughed softly. At the sounds of banging and cursing behind me, I turned to see my dad dumping Daisy-May unceremoniously into the stall we'd turned into a pen for her and the handful of sheep we kept around. He leaned heavily against the wall. "That goat is either really smart, or dumb as shit, can't tell. Hey, Heath."

Heath nodded at him. "Hey."

"Suzann, you up to the lesson this mornin'? I know you just got back, but..."

I shook my head and laughed again. "No problem, I got it."

He gave me a quick hug. After a while, Heath left with Ennis going to respond to a pissed sounding call from Esmeralda shortly after. My dad went to the field house, leaving me to wait for the day's students myself.

The three girls were a little late, as always. The oldest of them, Rebecca, dropped a check in the envelope stapled to the back of the door then turned to smile at me, herding her sisters along in front of her. "Hi, Suzann!"

I smiled back. "Hey, Becca. Jazz, Emma, you look sleepy."

Jazz nodded dully while Emma said she was _not_. Becca and I shared a look. "C'mon, guys, we need to groom the horses and saddle 'em."

Jazz perked up. "Who're we riding today?"

"You," I said handing her a brush, "are riding Tango. You," I handed Emma a brush, "are riding Opera. And you," Becca had already grabbed a brush so I just turned to her, "are riding Chessman."

After a few minutes of grooming, Becca and I went into the tack room to get saddles and blankets; her sisters weren't strong enough to lift the heavy molded leather. As a hoisted a saddle down from its post on the wall, Becca said, "Emma still doesn't know about your dads."

I looked at her. "So? She's only nine. It's not like it really matters anyway, you and Jazz and your mom know and y'all're cool with it. Puss I bet she knows more than you think she does, even if she doesn't realize she knows it."

"Okay, yeah."

Just then my dad came in, grabbed a saddle, gave us a "get back to what you're supposed to be doing" look and went back out into the main part of the stable. We laughed and followed him. Becca saddled Chessman herself without any help and my dad checked, and fixed, Jazz's job of saddling Tango while I mostly did it for Emma.

I lead the girls as they lead the horses out to the small field we have set up for lessons. We let the horses drink, then I helped Emma and Jazz up into their saddles. Tango snorted and shook his head. I put a hand on his nose. "Hush." I took a step back and said to the girls, "Okay, we're gonna walk 'em around a few times." I saw Jazz start to ask something. "And I mean _walk_, as in _at a walk_."

The girls did as bade with only slight resistance from Tango. Tango can be stubborn, Jazz is at least five times as stubborn so it works out.

It turned out to be a fairly unremarkable lesson, walking, trotting turning circles, I small competition at dropping old, valueless coins onto fenceposts as the girls rode past, I let Becca try an arena race at a canter. After the girls had dismounted and we were about to lead the horses back to the stables, Emma started begging me to show them something they weren't allowed to do yet.

"Please, Suzann, please, I just wanna see it, and I know you can do it!"

I shook my head. "No, Emma, lesson's over, we need to go unsaddle."

"Awe, c'mon!"

Jazz shrugged. "I'd kinda like to see too."

Becca looked carefully away from me. "It can't hurt to just show us."

I sighed and glanced around for my father. Not seeing him anywhere, I took Chessman's reins from Becca and pulled myself into the saddle, wheeled the stallion 'round away from the girls, and kicked hard. "Hup, hup!"

We set off at a flying gallop. I was standing in the stirrups, laying flat against the horse's neck. The fence at the other end of the field was low, low enough, I knew, for Chessman to jump, and he did. We turned partway down the next field and came back, soaring over the fence again, kicking up grass and dirt as we skid to a stop. He reared up on his hind legs and whinnied long and loud, pawing the air, before settling.

The girls applauded softly so as not to spook the horses as I dropped, panting and smiling to my feet. They brought to horses back to the stable, unsaddled and groomed them under my guidance, then went home.

A while later, as I was saddling up to lead a trail ride on Mononoke, my daddy said to me, "I saw that stunt you puled on Chessman earlier."

I froze, terrified, and turned to look at him. He laughed and clapped me on the shoulder, but gave me a serious look. "Don't do it again, ya hear? Last thing those girls need is you givin' 'em ideas to run with."

I smiled sheepishly.

"And don't pull anything on this ride."

"I won't, Daddy."

"You better not. Did good with that jump though." He kissed the top of my head and walked away to the field house.

I laughed.

**A/N: Horse chapter, that's all. Had a lot of fun writing this. Rebecca is based on two of my horse-person type friends who both share that name, though spelled differently.**

**Honorable mention for Aurora Borealis – Polar Lights! They are the first to tell me where Ennis and Jack honeymooned as mentioned in chapter five.**

**Comments and questions in reviews can be directed at either me, Suzann, Zazu, or Jack. Those that are directed at Suzann, Zazu, or Jack will be answered in character.**

**Aurora Borealis – Polar Lights is also the first person to write to a character as described above.**

**Happy fanfic-ing! Reviews appreciated!**


	11. Chapter 11

I got home from school the other day to find my dad pacing around the living room, talking agitatedly on the phone. I gave Ennis, who was leaning against the wall, a "what?" look. He gestured towards my dad with the bottle he was holding. "AOD's office."

"Huh?"

He shifted, half crossing his arms. "Your brother, Bobby, he's passed.

"Oh, oh wow..."

Ennis grunted some kind of an agreement, my daddy slammed the phone back into its cradle and strode out the door, grabbing his hat.

"Why," I asked turning back to Ennis, "do the two of you always grab your hats even if you're gonna be flying somewhere?"

He shrugged, "Habit," and took a drink.

Almost two hours later, Ennis and I were sitting on the couch, staring incredulously at a description in my psychology textbook that perfectly described Daddy.

"You think if I showed this to 'im he'd finally believe he needs therapy?"

He shook his head. "Prob'ly not."

Just then my dad came through the door, almost looking like he was gonna be sick, followed by what could have passed for his clone: Bobby.

He was dressed in plain white clothes like all new Angels, the thin metal hoop of his hallo was mostly lost in his malbehaved brown hair and his greyblue eyes looked tired and lost.

He saw me and Ennis and glanced at Daddy. "Uh, Dad... who're they?"

I felt Ennis tense slightly beside me. I caught my textbook as it slipped off my lap.

"Well," Daddy put his hands in his pockets, he'd put his hat back on its peg by the door. "This is your little sister, Suzann."

Bobby gave him a slightly confused look. "Little sister?"

"After Mama died, she and Daddy got back together and had me." I set my textbook on the end table next to me and tugged at the collar of my purple-and-white plaid shirt. Dang, this was awkward.

"Oh, okay. Um, hey, Suzann."

I nodded once. "Hey, uh, Bobby."

He grinned just a little then turned back to Daddy. "And, um...?"

My daddy and Ennis shared a look. It occurred to me that Bobby had _no freaking clue_. A.J. had had some warning, colored as it was by her mother's resentment, but at least it hadn't a total shock.

Suddenly, I felt a whole lot sorrier for my brother.

"And, um, Bobby," my dad started slowly. "This is Ennis del Mar, your, your,uh, stepfather."

Now Bobby looked really confused. "Stepfather? Did Mama-?"

"Not Mama." I picked at my sleeve, not looking at my brother. I felt Ennis's gaze slide onto me; I didn't look at him either. There was a beat of tense, uncomfortable silence and I knew neither of my parents were going to say anything. "Ennis is married to Daddy."

I looked up in time to see Bobby's body language shift from just "I don't belong here yet" to... defiance? I could see exactly two ways this could go down, and I _knew_ which one was likely. The likely one didn't end well.

Bobby looked at Daddy, turning his head slowly. "What the-"

Daddy put a hand on his son's shoulder. "Listen now, Bobby-"

Bobby slapped the hand from his shoulder. "I can't believe my own father's queer." He looked disgusted.

"Hey!" I stood. "What do you know? Daddy ent queer."

Daddy looked like he wasn't sure whether to thank me or scold me.

Bobby scoffed at me. "Heh, bullshit. He's – ya know what, I'm not getting into this with a little girl."

"I'm eighteen, thanks. And you dunno anything about this," I gestured between Daddy and Ennis, "or anything about here. Til you do, don't you judge."

"I know enough." Bobby reminded me of my daddy when he's upset and it just made me pissed.

"Like fuck you do." I heard my father say my name, a clear warning in his voice, but I ignored him. "A few hours you been here, almost two decades I have. This is my family, and you're on the outside still."

"I don't need to have been anywhere long to know my daddy leaving my mama, taking his little bitch of a daughter with 'im, and shacking up with some queer is fucked up."

"Bobby." Now the warning was directed at my daddy's son.

"And," Bobby continued, ignoring Daddy, "I sure am part of this family," I could tell Ennis was not included in the family he meant, "hell, I'm the firstborn son!"

"I give you three days to stop using hell as a cuss."

Daddy and Bobby both started to say something and I took a breath to say something else, too, then, "I want everyone the name a Twist to shut up right now."

We all three looked around at Ennis. He stood slowly. "Jack, calm down and start thanking your lucky stars the two of them didn't grow up together, they'd a been the death of you, looks like."

I saw my daddy swallow, but he didn't say anything.

"Robert." Ennis turned to Bobby. "Suzann is right that you got no fuckin' clue what you're talking about. I know you think you do, but you're wrong. I know because I've been there, thought I knew all there was needed knowing about guys bein' together: it doesn't work, it's wrong, it shouldn't happen. Then I met your father. Then he died. Then I realized I was wrong."

He turned to me. "And, Suzann, you gotta learned to act right even when you're pissed. I'm real bad at it but that ain't no excuse for you."

I looked at my feet and took a deep breath. "You know, when I was little and I found out I have a brother, I was so excited, I couldn't wait to meet you, Bobby. So many of my friends had such cool older brothers. A little while ago, I felt sorry for you. I mean, you just died, that's gotta be rough, I know it is. But now," I looked up at him, "now I just think you're a right little bastard. No 'fense, Daddy."

I turned and ran out the door, ignoring my daddy and Ennis calling me back.

**A/N: Okay, this has been written for months, but I just got it typed. Next chapter and change are written so hopefully I'll get those up soon. Real soon.**

**As always, questions and comments can be directed at characters, now including Bobby, and they'll answer.**

**It just me or does Ennis talk a lot in this chapter?**

**Oh and yes I did bump up the rating to M from T. I think i dropped the F-bomb three times in this chapter so... yeah.  
**


	12. Chapter 12

I ran the field house, climbed up into the loft, and sat against the wall hugging my knees.

I looked up to see one pair of green and five pairs of little blue eyes watching me from out of an old crate.

It was our barncat, Cookie, and her kittens. One kitten, a little black-and-white named Tux, tumbled out of the crate and came to paw at my ankle. I picked him up, crossing my legs, and cuddled him for a moment before I was pounced upon by his siblings.

After a while, I heard the field house door open.

"Uh, Suzann?"

It was Bobby. I didn't say anything.

His head and shoulders appeared at the top of the ladder to the loft. The kittens all turned to stare at him from my lap before running back to their mother in the crate.

I turned away from him. "Go away."

"Suzann." I could hear the scowl in his voice. Just like Daddy.

"I don't have anything to say to you."

"Su –"

I turned to glare at him. "I don't want to talk to right now! If you've got issues work 'em out with Dad."

He shrank away from me. "Shit, you look like Mom."

I jumped to my feet screaming, "No I don't!" I grabbed roll of twine off the shelf behind me and chucked it at him. "I don't look like her!" I threw something else at him and he started to scramble down the ladder. "I look like my daddy!"

He ran out of the house, calling over his shoulder, "You're crazy!"

By the time I slunk back into the house, it was completely dark out. I came in the front door. Bobby and my Daddy were downstairs in the kitchen, talking.

"Now, Bobby, I understand that you're upset –"

"Fuck right I am."

"– and certainly got the right to, but I'm upset too."

"And why the hell are you upset?"

"Okay, by next week, I promise you, you'll of stoped saying that. But I'm upset because, one, my firstborn son died today, two, he's being a jerk, three, my daughter seems that hate her brother, and he hasn't exactly given her much reason not to, four, my husband so upset won't talk at all to _anyone_, and five, you don't seem to give a fuck _and_ you won't listen to anything I say! I'm trying to make things easier for everybody and it did help a lot if you stop fuming, hush, and hear me out."

I pressed my back against the wall next to the door between the kitchen and the living room so I could see both of them in the black glass of the television.

They were facing each other across the table, both leaned forward, hands on the wood, holding themselves up. Bobby hung his head for a moment. "All right, what've you got to say."

"First of all, you gotta know you're killin' me. You got kids?"

" Two boys."

"They ever fight?"

"Yeah."

"How'd it make you feel?"

"Drove me nuts, maybe feel like crap too."

"Uhhuh. And if one of 'em got hurt?"

"Worried, kinda sick."

"And if one of 'em had died?"

Bobby just shook his head.

"Exactly. Now imagine doing both of those at once."

Bobby looked away.

"And, then how you're reacting to Ennis, well, I mean I sure didn't expect you to love him – shit, boy he's your stepfather, that's not exactly a word that makes people happy. But even so…. You can't possibly think that choosing between him and your mother was easy for me."

"You left Mama for a man."

"It's more complicated than that." Bobby crossed his arms and Daddy ran a hand through his hair. "Actually I met him first, then we went to our own ways. Each of us got married and had kids but when we met back up, we still, we still loved each other." Bobby snorted. "Now I really did love your mother, I still do." There was a long pause where Bobby just stared none-too-warmly at Daddy. "Hey, you remember in high school there were those two girls you liked and you had to pick which one take that dance?"

Bobby seemed taken aback. "Well, yeah."

"I've been playing the same game, in all honesty, since before you were born, just with higher stakes."

"What kind of stakes?"

"Mine and Ennis's lives; and I lost that bet."

I saw something change about Bobby, suddenly, he didn't look so much older than me. "What do you mean lost that bet?"

My daddy look at the ground and swallowed. "I bet my life, and I lost, I got killed."

"No, no, Mama said you had an accident. Changing a tire…."

"Yeah I know, she told everyone that, even convinced herself, but it's not true. She knew it wasn't, I know she knew, just didn't want to believe."

"I'm sure." Bobby had stepped back in disbelief so many times he'd backed up against the counter. "Bet you wish you'd lived different, might still be alive then." The venom was back.

"No, son, I don't," Daddy snapped at him. "I sure wish things had turned out different, but I can't wish I'd lived different. I can't regret meeting Ennis, can't imagine havin' not known him. At the same time, I can't regret leavin' him 'cause then I wouldn't a met your mama. Can't regret marrying her, can't regret havin' you. Love you both. But I can't regret that I kept seein' Ennis. Can't regret getting back together with your mama here, can't regret getting back with Ennis, either, though. Only things I regret is all the lying I did to cover for my sorry self, not being there for you as long as I should a been, and, well..."

I knew, and I murmered the word to myself: "Mexico."

I saw them both look up in the TV glass. My smiled slightly. "How long you been there, Suzann?"

I stepped into the doorway. "A while. But you regret Mexico, don't you? All the foollin' around."

He nodded. "Honestly wish you didn't about that."

I shrugged. "I ent never been under the delusion that you're perfect, Daddy."

He rolled his eyes.

Bobby, looking horribly confused again, started to say something.

"I'll tell you later, maybe. I don't think Daddy wants to."

They both nodded, one in confirmation, the other in acknowledgment.

I walked over and hugged my daddy, burying my face in his shoulder before turning to Bobby. "Starting to get it yet?"

"I think so."

Daddy sighed, running a hand through his hair again. "Good, well, I'm goin' to bed b'fore I pass out. Suzann?"

"Of course I'll show him where he cant stay, Daddy, go on to bed, you been up since four and it's been a rough day, I'm sure."

"Thank you."

I waited 'til he'd gone up the stairs and I'd heard the bedroom door open then close, then I darted around the table, took hold of Bobby by the front of his shirt, and started tuggin' him to the living room. "C'mere, you."

"What?"

"Hush." I pushed him down onto the couch and pulled a Crystyl VidCard out from under the lamp in the corner. "I'ma make _dang_ sure you get it, and this is an awful lot easier than tryin' to explain."

Two and a half hours later, give or take, around one in the morning, I was sitting on the couch next to Bobby, swaying back and forth gently, humming along with the ending credits of the only movie all three of my parents had ever forbidden me from watching. I'd circumvented that ban a couple years ago, and _ then_ it was lifted.

"Well, shit." Bobby shook his head, as if trying to clear it.

"Get it?"

He nodded.

"Cool with it?"

"No."

"Eh, you got time."

**A/N: Man, I feel like I haven't posted in forever. I just got vox-recog software though, so hopefully **

**I'll be posting more often, fingers crossed!**

**This was actually part of the previous chapter but felt like that was getting too long, so I broke it apart, I hope that worked smoothly.**

**I just started writing a sister-story to this that's more or less from Jack's point of view and it ought to be up soon, so keep an eye out for that if you're interested.**

**EDIT: oh gawd the original post of this was a mess, but I fixed. Voice recognition software is far from perfect...**


	13. Chapter 13

I have been crazy busy, but y'all have _got_ to hear about my Christmas, I swear.

I woke up the day before Christmas to the smell of pancakes, which is weird 'cause I'm the only person I live with who can cook.

I came downstairs in my flannel P. J.s and bare feet and stumbled blearily into the kitchen to find my daddy sitting at the table, staring blankly at the mug of coffee in his hands, and my granma, making pancakes.

She turned over her shoulder to look at me. "Good morning, Suzann."

I smiled. "Morning, Granma, Daddy."

Daddy mumbled some sort of reply as I sat down across from him. He didn't seem quite awake yet.

Ennis shuffled in a moment later, "Mmh, hey, Sue," and sat next to Daddy.

"Hello, Ennis." Granma set a plate of pancakes in front of each of us.

Bobby appeared in the doorway, paused, and blinked. "Oh, hey, Granma.

He's still getting used to the fact that his grandmother looks about thirty. I'm used to it, it's the only way I've ever known her.

Bobby sat down next to me. Right as I took a huge bite of pancake, I noticed he was looking at me. "What?"

"Suzann, don't talk with your mouth full," Daddy told me with his mouth full.

Bobby and I started laughing.

Granma set a plate of pancakes in front of Bobby. "Jack, don't talk with your mouth full."

Bobby and I started laughing harder and almost choked on pancake, which made Daddy start laughing and almost choke on pancake.

Ennis shook his head as he thumped my daddy on the back. "I am _convinced_ that Twist equals stark raving mad."

Granma turned the stove off, tossed the pan in the sink and turned to Ennis. "You married into it of your own free will."

"So did you."

"Ennis, honey, I think I started it."

Daddy laughed. "Mama, you did start it."

That conversation went on for a while, eventually ending with the conclusion that Ennis and my grandfather could out stick-in-the-mud the English parliament. Then Daddy informed the rest of us that Granma was taking our house over for a Christmas party that evening.

Ennis gave her a look that managed to be both stern and pleading. "Sue, you can't just do that, especially without tellin' us."

She shrugged. "You're the only ones with room."

Ennis started to say something else but Daddy put a hand on his arm. "Ennis, Ennis. Give it up. We weren't doing anything anyway."

I saw Bobby make a face at the slight display of affection between our daddy and Ennis and I kicked him under the table. This general procedure has become normal and will remain so 'til my idiot brother mans up enough to not take such issue with the whole Daddy/Ennis situation. It could be a while.

After breakfast, Granma and I set to work making the house party-ready as the men settled for just trying to keep out our way.

Around noon, Zazu showed up. I stopped what I was doing and went over to him. He looked pissed. "Z, what's the matter? I thought you were spending today with max." They had started going out not long after my birthday.

Zazu stripped off his coat and slung it on one of the pegs by the door. "I was, now I'm not. Lying, cheating, son of a..."

He stalked toward the kitchen. I followed him, still holding a roll of red streamers. "Zazu, what happened?"

"Max if a frikking slut, that's what happened." He turned and looked me in the eye, he seemed to be trying not to cry. "Other than me, he had three boyfriends and at least two girlfriends."

I crossed my arms. "Now that's not right! I gotta admit, I ent used to applying the word slut to guys, but it fits him. You deserve better than that."

Zazu pulled out a chair, sat in it backwards, crossed his arms on the edge of the back and rested his head on his arms so I couldn't see his face. "What's wrong with me that I can't seem to find a decent boyfriend for anything?"

"Oh, Z, there's nothing wrong with you, nothing at all. I bet you'll find someone where you's least expect to."

He mumbled something unintelligible.

"Hey, Daddy!" I called, "Zazu's gonna hang with us for today."

"Uh, alright." He appeared in the doorway and noticed Zazu's slumped, dejected state. "What's wrong, Zazu?"

Zazu looked up. "Men suck."

"Um, Zazu," I bit my lip. "You _are_ a man."

"Men still suck."

"Do you need a while to sulk?" I asked.

He nodded.

"Need chocolate and/or icecream."

"And/or alcohol?" Daddy added.

Zazu chuckled dryly. "No, thank you."

I patted his shoulder as Daddy left the room. "Warning, Granma's throwing a party."

"In that case I need some chocolate icecream alcohol

I rolled my eyes.

By sundown, Teiah and the Magnells were hanging around the house, my paternal grandfather was busy being grumpy and having a glare fest with Ennis (they kinda sorta pretty much loath each other), and Zazu was in a better mood.

"Ennis," my dad called walking out of the foyer, your folks are here."

I like Ennis's mother. She's a sweet, goodnatured woman you wouldn't think capable of having had gruff, more or less antisocial Ennis for a son – until you met her husband. I have three grandfathers, and they're all curmudgeons, what are the odds?

A little while later, my mother and her parents showed up. Great...

My mother gave me a little smile, which I pretended not to notice, an I escaped to the kitchen where Granma was baking something.

"Oh, hey, Suzann." She smiled and I smiled back.

"Need some help?"

"If you're offering."

I laughed.

After a while, our companionable pastry making was interrupted by the sound of squabbling from the living room. Granma and I shared a look then went to investigate.

There was a multi-way argument going and anyone not in it was either watching or trying to ignore it.

"Yeah? Yeah? Your son's a fucking queer."

"Pa, do not talk about Jack like that."

Ennis's mother broke in. "Ennis, Paul, don't –"

"That boy of yours is too!" My grandfather said, ignoring both Ennis and his mother. "Ashamed mine is."

"John!" Granma looked livid.

"I say they're both good-for-nothing –"

"You shut your mouth!" my daddy snapped at his former father-in-law, then turned to Granma. "Why did you invite them, Mama?"

"I have a right to see my children and my parents have a right to see their grandchildren, Jack," my mother said coldly.

"Mama..." Bobby started but trailed off.

Then some five, maybe six people started talking at the same time.

"Will you all just shut up?" I yelled.

There was dead silence as every one looked at me. "Yall are supposed to be adults, but you sure ain't acting like it."

I turned and hugged Granma; I hate it when people fight. "I don't think this was such a good idea Granma," I said into her shoulder.

"Maybe not." She patted my back. "She's right, you know," she said addressing everybody else. "John, Paul, L.B, you realize you're arguing about something you agree on. You're wronger than a cat courting a chicken but you do agree."

There were various noises of irritation a few of amusement.

Granma continued on. "And Lureen, honey, you're right too; you have every right in this world and others to see your children. Now," she took a deep breath," can we all act like civilized human beings, or does everyone need to go home?"

I heard Paul curse, stomp away and the door slam, then Ennis's mother sigh. I turned my head away from Granma's shoulder just a little to see Ennis standing a little too still and lookin' ready to kill something.

A mount of tense silence passed before Ennis strode out the other door.

Daddy took a step after him. "Ennis!"

"Jack, leave it, you know him," Granma and Ennis's mother said as one.

Daddy slumped against the wall and ran a rand through his hair.

Slowly, everyone started to drift out one door or the other, murmuring goodbyes and merry Christmases.

My mama turned over her shoulder, "Merry Christmas, Jack," and left.

As the Magnells headed out the door, Cissy's little brother Mink turned back and waved. "Bye, Suzann," he smiled a little, "Bye, Zazu."

Z and I waved.

Granma gave me a little squeeze and let go. "I'll clean up the kitchen then go home."

"I'll help," Ennis's mother said.

Granma shook her head. "Oh, you don't have to do that, Ellen."

"It's fine, I don't mind, really."

"Well, alright..."

The two of them went to the kitchen.

"Hey, uh, Dad?" Bobby said. "I think I'll go over to Mama's, so she ain't by herself."

"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, you do that, Bobby."

He nodded and left, leaving Daddy, Zazu and me standing in silence. Zazu took my hand and lead me up to my room.

Sitting on my bed was a little teddy bear holding a box. Zazu and I sat to either side of it and I opened the box, inside was a rhinestone belt buckle with my initials framed in flowers. It was beautiful. I was speechless.

Zazu ran his fingers through my ponytail. "It's from your mom." He pointed at a tag around the bear's neck.

"Oh..."

"She knows what kind of jewelry a girl like you is likely to actually wear."

"Yeah," I said tracing the L in my initials. "I guess she would."

I had forgotten that, once upon a time, Mama had been a rodeo girl.

A few minutes later, the buckle was back in its box sitting on my bedside table with the bear and Z and I were laying on my bed, my head on his tummy, looking for shapes in the pattern on the ceiling when Daddy came up the stairs and paused in my open doorway. "Goodnight Suzann, Zazu."

Zazu and I said, "Goodnight, Jack," and "Goodnight, Daddy," respectively.

"Sorry about all that, Zazu."

Z shrugged. "Eh, everybody's family is F-ed up some degree. Though you are rivaling the Tudors."

Daddy shook his head, chuckled, went down the hall to the master bedroom and closed the door.

Some time later, Ennis trudged up the stairs and stopped in my doorway like Daddy had.

"Hey," he grumbled at us, still not in the best of moods. "Not goin' home, Zazu?

"No, sir."

He grunted what was presumably some form of accent. "Jack gone to bed?"

We nodded and he went back downstairs. We heard the opening of the fridge.

I got up and closed the door then sat next to Z again. "Daddy's probably lying face down in their bed head smushed in the pillows."

He chuckled, got up and opened the bottom drawer of my dresser. He always has clothes here somehow.

He pulled his shirt off, reveling the markings of his wings on his shoulder blades and making his hair stick up with static. "You know," he said shrugging into an old T-shirt. "Your family has this thing of making whatever problems I have not seem anywhere near as bad."

"Only 'cause we overshadow them." We both laughed a little. "I am still gonna mail Max a box of horseshit or something."

We heard Ennis walk past and go into the master bedroom, most likely with a bear or some such in hand.

Zazu shook his head. "You don't have to do that." He paused. "Bastard deserves it though."

I laughed.

**A/N: Ohmigod I'm sorry this is like two months late! I tried to get it up sooner but I failed DX**

**As always, comments and questions in reviews can be directed at either me, Suzann, Zazu, or Jack. Those that are directed at Suzann, Zazu, or Jack will be answered in character.**

**Happy fanfic-ing! Reviews appreciated!**


	14. Chapter 14

It's Christmas again, a year since I last said anythin' here. Last time I'm gonna, too. I'm engaged to Jorden now an' we're getting married in April. Daddy is stressin' and Ennis is doing his best to calm him down and/or distract him.

Zazu is going out with Cissy's little brother Mink and has been for several months now. Trust me, no body saw that one comin'. Heck, 'til the two of them started dating nobody even knew that Mink had such inclinations. Whatever though, they are absolutely adorable together. Way to bet is that they'll be the next marriage among us.

I just had a free moment and remembered that I'd been doin' this so I thought I 'd wrap things up for all a you out there. Bye now, happy trails.

**A/N: Yup this is the end. Questions and comments still appreciated and, if addressed to a character, will be answered in character. If you liked this story, please check out my new fic, A Force of Nature. Happy ficking. **


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